Life Goes On
by Ramenlvr15
Summary: Noriko Haruka was only trying to prove that she was there. She didn't ask for all these problems, but that's what you get when you wind up on a team with Uchiha Itachi. Rated T for later chapters...Pairings?
1. Beginning

**Ramenlvr15**: Hey! Yeah… well this is my first story I've actually put up! If all goes well and the computer works hopefully I'll have more!

**Itachi**: Great my life is in the hands of a psycho…

**Ramenlvr15**: Heck yea! You better believe it! Now on to the disclaimer and story!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto…sad…if I did things might be different. But I do own Noriko!

nNn

"Blah"-talking

_Blah- thinking_

_**Inner self**_

nNn

Familiar sights and sounds were all around…the same little village…the same girl…_Today's special…and nobody notices…_the young girl thought looking around for a moment.

Of course nobody noticed. She was pretty much invisible. The next person who passed by her wouldn't even know her name even though she'd lived in that village all her life. Or the next person…or the next…Still, she held her head high and walked on. Today was definitely important. _I should be proud of myself, _she thought. _I'm still Noriko Haruka…A genin at age 7!_

Noriko couldn't hold in her happiness anymore and ran all the way to the academy for her orientation. The smile that was stretched across her face disappeared as soon as she stepped into the room as her meeker side took over. The older kids gave her weird looks. She ignored them still and sat down at a desk next to another girl around age 12. "Hi! I don't think I've met you before…"

"Aren't you late for daycare or something?" complained the older child getting up and walking away leaving Noriko to sit all by herself again. _Why do they always act like that around me? _She thought looking somewhat frustrated. Her inner self urged her on. _**They're just jealous because you're probably better than them!**_

The little brunette sat there for a while longer thinking to herself when somebody sat down next to her. Immediately she looked up not sure whether not to smile. It was that boy from her class…Uchiha Itachi? He was her age and he had passed too. She remembered seeing his parents acting so proud of him. All the resentment she'd felt towards him melted away.

"You don't mind if I sit here do you?"

Noriko's cheeks tinted pink. "Sure go ahead! I'm Noriko! Do you remember me? I remember you!" she babbled on.

The dark-haired boy only half-smiled before replying, "You talk too much Noriko-san."

The girl's blush only darkened to a deep shade of magenta but she calmed down when Tomah-sensei came into the room. As usual she grew silent again excited that someone had noticed her finally.

"I'll be separating you into teams of three so listen closely so you can go meet your squad leader," the chuunin explained to them. "Team 2: Uchiha Shisui, Haruka Noriko, and Uchiha Itachi."

She looked expectantly at the boy next to her but when he didn't even glance her way she turned to look forward again. Little did she know this whole team would only be the start of her problems.

**Ramenlvr15**: Well? What do you think?

**Itachi**: I still think you're a psycho…

**Ramenlvr15**: -throws shoe and hits him in the head- You don't count! Yeah, I always wanted to know what Itachi's genin team was like so I made one up! Well…except Shisui, he was actually an Uchiha…but they never showed him so…yeah…anyway! I'll see ya'll later!

**Itachi**: I hate you…T.T


	2. Chapter 2

**Ramenlvr14:** Well, here we are again-

**Noriko:** Finally! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?!

**Ramenlvr14:** (sweatdrops) hehe...well I may have gotten a tad sidetracked with Costumes and Candy and well...real life

**Noriko:** Whatever, just bring on the disclaimer already!

**Ramenlvr14:** I think I liked the Hinata-ish side of you better...

**Noriko:** Say it!!!

**Disclaimer:** The day I own Naruto is the day that Kissame stops being a fish.

* * *

"First day of training…first day of training…"Noriko hummed absently to herself as she tied her brown hair into two little pigtails. She quickly brushed her teeth before packing her small pouch full of scrolls, kunai, shuriken, and several other pointy ninja tools. She meandered out of her room and grabbed an apple before heading out the door.

Noriko was so excited she ran all the way there ducking around the few much taller adults. The two Uchiha boys were already there. She smiled at them. Shisui smiled back and Itachi only nodded but it was enough for her.

She sat down on the soft grass next to them and listened to them talk for a while. Just listening was good enough and she didn't have anything to add so she remained silent as the conversation progressed from topics involving their clan to Itachi's little brother Sasuke.

"Well, you three can stop sitting around anytime now so we can get started!" Yoshiko-sensei said suddenly appearing out of nowhere and taking them all by surprise except for Itachi who remained completely unphased. "Tell me a little about yourselves."

"What do you mean?" Noriko asked looking confused.

"Look at that she does talk!" Shisui smirked and the girl shut her mouth tightly in embarrassment but he took notice. "I'm just kidding Noriko-san."

She still remained quiet and with a sigh, the red-haired man went on to explain. "Your strengths and weaknesses, that way I'll know what you need to work on."

"Oh well then all you need to do is take care of Itachi-kun's ego and teach Noriko-san to shut up!" joked the older boy. Noriko giggled almost to herself. _He's kind of funny…_

"Then I have the perfect solution," Yoshiko said. "Shisui can go run laps and I'll talk to these two since they're obviously more mature."

Shisui sweat dropped and laughed nervously, "Ehehe…I'll just stop talking then…"

"Well, now that we've got that settled, Noriko, how about you first?" The squad leader asked. The expression on her face told everyone that she would rather jump off a cliff than have to go first but she did anyway.

"Um… I'm really good with genjutsu…and I can do a little bit of ninjutsu but I'm not very good at taijutsu I don't think…or with shuriken…" she answered quietly as she stopped to think if there was anything else.

"Right, well, what about Itachi?" he questioned to keep things moving.

"I could get better in my genjustu, but that's really it…"

That was kind of bragging… No…I shouldn't think that way about my teammates… 

"Sure, you make me go last," sighed Shisui brushing his black and red tinted hair out of his eyes. "Well, I guess I could work on my genjutsu and ninjutsu but Tomah-sensei said my taijutsu was excellent."

"Good, well then, we'll start with sparring. Each of you against the other."

Noriko gulped. She could barely throw a kunai and with in three minutes of hand to hand combat, she'd definitely get knocked out. The only thing she was particularly skilled at was her genjutsu.

_I'm not sure I could trick two Uchihas into genjutsu…_

_**I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed!!!!**_

"Whenever you're ready," sighed Yoshiko-sensei, looking extremely bored.

"Meep!" Noriko squeaked diving behind a bush. Just in time to as a huge flame enveloped the space she had just been standing in.

_**Deep calming breaths….in, out, in, out…Good!**_

_Genjutsu, use the genjutsu._ She reminded herself, taking out a scroll she fumbled through the hand seals. When she was finished, she quickly peered through the slightly charred bush to watch happily as her two teammates began to attack trees. Noriko crawled out from her hiding place to watch. She giggled quietly to herself, who wouldn't when you're watching to people trying to assassinate plants?

"Sharingan!" both boys declared and Noriko's face went white when they stopped killing trees and turned to look at her. Each took one glance back at said trees and then back at Noriko.

Her brain went fuzzy and she suddenly couldn't think straight. The poor girl was so terrified, she grabbed a large stick and held it in front of her defensively as she let out a fearful, high pitched scream.

Before she could say "Pickle juice" Shishui's foot connected with the side of her head and everything went black.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Oh, look, I think she's waking up!" someone said hopefully.

"Well, she wouldn't have been unconscious if you hadn't kicked her so hard," Yoshiko answered dully.

_My head hurts._

"Nn…" Noriko groaned lifting her head slightly off the ground.

"ARE YOU OKAY?! I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU- WELL, I DID, BUT NOT THAT BAD!!!!" Shishui shouted – right in her ear.

_**I have a headache, baka!**_Inner Noriko continued to go on to call Shishui several, unrepeatable words…

"I'm okay, I guess," said Noriko quietly still a bit dazed, "I think I'm going to go to some ramen and eat my house now."

Shishui grinned sheepishly. "Um, have fun with that." Yoshiko-sensei gave him an evil glare and the young ninja quickly added, " I mean, I'll make sure you make it to your house."

* * *

**Me:** Finally, another chapter done! Poor, Noriko, she got her back all talkwards! Anyway! Have a peanutbutter cookie!

**Noriko:** Look, a flying potato.

**Me:**Uh, the next chapter should be up once I get Nori-chan some medical attention... Hopefully it'll be soon but you never know...


	3. Chapter 3

Ramenlvr15: HELLO!! Long time no write! Meow!

Nori-chan: Erm...I think she might be sick...

Ramenlvr15: Nope!! Just a few too many cans of pop! Onto the disclaimer!!

**Disclaimer:** IdOnOToWNnARUTO!!OnlyNori-chanAndThePlot!! YAY FOR CAFFIENE!!

* * *

"Target in sight

"Target in sight. Noriko-san, use genjutsu to subdue it for a moment."

"H…Hai," her nervous voice crackled over the radio frequency. "But are you sure it'll work on-?"

"Will you two stop being so serious?! It's a freaking squirrel! How hard can it be to get it out of some old lady's garden??" interrupted Shisui so loudly that Noriko almost doubled over when her radio squealed in her ear.

"Earth to idiot, just help the other two finish up? I have things to do!" ordered Yoshiko-sensei from on top of a building somewhere.

"Fine!" Shisui suddenly tore out of his hiding place behind a tree and flinging himself at the squirrel with a sharpened kunai clasped in his hand.

"Shisui-kun, stop! You'll hurt it!" Noriko went chasing after him. Mustering up her courage she took a flying leap and tackled him around the knees, dropping him to the ground. However, there in his hand squirming and squeaking loudly, was a fuzzy brown squirrel.

"Nori-chan! Why'd you do that?" he complained getting to his feet and brushing off his shirt with a free hand as the squirrel attempted to bite the thumb on the hand gripping him a little too tightly.

Itachi had joined them and was shaking his head in both amusement and disproval. "Well, that makes six. That should be all of them."

"It took you three long enough," sighed Yoshiko-sensei appearing from nowhere on a nearby tree branch. "How are you ever going to get harder missions if you take so long to just catch squirrels?"

"Not like you were any help," Shisui grumbled. "It would have been faster if we could have just killed the little rodents."

Noriko went red. _I'm the one that didn't want to hurt them…Some ninja I am. It's my fault we took so long…_

"Some missions require that targets are captured instead of killed," reminded Itachi, coming to her rescue. "Let's just call it a day."

"Alright. I'll have your pay tomorrow at training," said Yoshiko-sensei shrugging. He disappeared leaving the trio to themselves.

The three walked down the street silently for a little while. Noriko on the end beside Itachi and Shisui on his other side. They looked quite a sight with their arms scratched up and dirt smudged all over their faces.

"I'm hungry," said Shisui suddenly as he ran a hand through his short black hair.

"You're always hungry."

Noriko giggled. "There's a dumpling shop over there. Let's go."

The boys followed her and in a few minutes they had their food and had stopped to eat at the training grounds. The three sat next to their favorite and biggest tree on the training grounds. Noriko looked at her half-eaten dumplings for a while and finally said, "I….I'm sorry I wasn't much help today."

"Wharutalkingbout?" said Shisui with his mouth full.

"W-what?"

He gulped. "What are you talking about? You were plenty of help today. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I tried to talk you into killing them."

"Can we not talk about dying things while I'm trying to eat?" asked Itachi with a grimace as he finished his last dumpling.

"Sorry, Itachi-kun," said Noriko quietly. "I guess I'm just being silly. I'll work harder from now on."

Shisui looked down at his watch and then yelped. "Itachi, we're late! We've got to get back to the house."

"Oh….See you tomorrow Noriko," said Itachi getting up and heading off with his friend.

"Yeah, later!" exclaimed Shisui as they ran off toward the Uchiha clan's compound.

Noriko smiled and fixed her pigtails before turning the opposite direction and heading home. _It's nice when they're both happy…_ she thought.

* * *

Ramenlvr15: Well, there you have it, a rather slow chapter but –

Shisui-kun: I want some excitement already! Sheesh! You make Nori-chan seem exciting!

Ramenlvr15: _(Hits with shoe)_ Well, I apologize for the long break, I'll try to update before I leave for work… and then you know….move! Before I forget, Virtual cookies for all! Meow!


End file.
